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The contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ecological restoration
Author(s) -
ReyesGarcía Victoria,
FernándezLlamazares Álvaro,
McElwee Pamela,
Molnár Zsolt,
Öllerer Kinga,
Wilson Sarah J.,
Brondizio Eduardo S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
restoration ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1526-100X
pISSN - 1061-2971
DOI - 10.1111/rec.12894
Subject(s) - safeguarding , indigenous , restoration ecology , livelihood , environmental planning , environmental resource management , psychological resilience , resilience (materials science) , environmental restoration , business , political science , ecology , geography , environmental science , psychology , agriculture , medicine , physics , nursing , psychotherapist , biology , thermodynamics
Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLC) are affected by global environmental change because they directly rely on their immediate environment for meeting basic livelihood needs. Therefore, safeguarding and restoring ecosystem resilience is critical to support their well‐being. Based on examples from the literature, we illustrate how IPLC participate in restoration activities maintaining traditional practices, restoring land degraded by outsiders, and joining outside groups seeking to restore ecosystems. Our review also provides examples of how Indigenous and Local Knowledge can be incorporated in the planning, execution, and monitoring of restoration activities. However, not all restoration initiatives engaging IPLC are beneficial or successful, and the factors that lead to success are not fully known. While local involvement in restoration projects is often mentioned as an element of success, this is primarily associated to projects that actively involve IPLC in codesigning restoration activities affecting their territories, ensure both short‐term direct benefits to IPLC and long‐term support of the maintenance of restored areas, and recognize IPLC local traditions and customary institutions. Based on these examples, we argue that IPLC should be a more important focus in any post‐2020 CBD agenda on restoration.